Gemini Rain

by Lj McEvoy

  When they arrived back to the farm, Lauren declined an invitation for coffee but got out of the car to catch Pierre before he entered the house. ‘Thank you for helping Emma,’ she said softly, ‘and I’m sorry for accusing you without listening to the full story, she smiled to him, ‘I suppose you’re her new hero now.’

  ‘Well, you’re definitely not,’ he said sharply, ‘perhaps now you’ll spend a bit more time talking and listening to your daughter instead of interfering in other people’s family business!’ he turned away running into the house.

  Gabrielle threw her arms up into the air in frustration, ‘What am I going to do with him, he’s worse than my three sons put together!’

  As Lauren drove up to their house Emma burst out crying again, ‘Mammy you do listen to me! Pierre’s wrong, it’s just that I was afraid to tell you!’

  Lauren smiled to her in the rear view mirror, ‘It’s okay sweetpea, I understand.’

  Lauren gave Emma a bath then wrapped her up in Lauren’s towelling bathrobe. Emma loved wearing it, it was huge on her, thick and soft and it smelt of her Mammy, sitting on the settee she could cover every part of her body and smell the lavender oil her mother used. Lauren handed Emma some snacks with a drink; soft music was playing in the background, as they chatted the outside world was forgotten about, mother and daughter became once more ‘girls together.’

  When Jean-Pierre called up with Keith he asked how Emma was, ‘she’s sleeping on the settee,’ Lauren smiled, ‘we’ve had a long chat but she’s a bit like me, she’ll survive to see another dawn. How’s Pierre?’

  Jean-Pierre told of the long talk he had with his grandson, he hoped he succeeded in getting something through to the child, ‘Pierre is to inform David when he telephones tonight.’

  Lauren was surprised to hear about David telephoning but didn’t show it to Jean-Pierre, David last spoke to her when she told him Veronique’s medical emergency and that was over three weeks ago, she left messages on his mobile but he never returned her calls. What’s going on she wondered. Cutting Jean-Pierre short because her telephone was ringing she ran to answer it before it woke Emma, ‘Hallo.’

  ‘Hello, Lauren,’ it was her mother Patricia.

  Chapter 36

  ‘Oh hello Patricia,’ Lauren’s heart leaped as she quickly added, ‘is there something wrong? Is it Daddy?’

  Patricia laughed the usual false laugh, which made Lauren wince, assuring her that everybody was fit and healthy, griping that she was surprised Lauren cared, ‘imagine you own daughter visiting Dublin for a week and not even a call or a visit.’

  Lauren ignored the comment bluntly asking why she was phoning, her mother had never phoned before Lauren’s sole family contact in Ireland was only with her dad.

  ‘Oh it’s the annual audit my dear,’ Patricia said, ‘there seems to be some information missing from last year, any help would be greatly appreciated. I’ve sent you an email hopefully you may know where the files are.’

  ‘Well it might help if I knew what files you’re talking about,’ Lauren now knew why her mother was phoning. The annual audit my eye, she bitterly thought that’s done every November and not in September. Lauren noticed the conversation was over a speakerphone, was someone with Patricia in the office?

  ‘Just some work Peter and I did together,’ Patricia replied casually knowing Lauren was familiar with the work she and Peter collaborated on.

  ‘No, I don’t know of any files like that. Have you checked Peter’s office?’ Lauren didn’t want to give away how nervous and angry she felt.

  ‘That’s gone my dear, did you not know we moved to larger premises, amazing with all the bad news around but with increases in exports our business is booming at the moment, but you couldn’t handle that, could you?’ Patricia stuck the knife in.

  Lauren felt her face flush with rage but tried to unsuccessfully sound normal, ‘well there’s your answer you obviously lost them in the move. Listen I have to go Emma and Keith have just arrived back from school.’

  ‘Oh how are they, my dear.’

  ‘Thriving, things have never been better we’re a true family at last. Goodbye Patricia,’ Lauren hung up shaking, ‘Bitch!’ she exasperated but immediately regretted saying those words. Is the shit starting to hit the fan or have they only discovered now that the information was missing and are panicking? Lauren sighed knowing who was going to be in touch with her next. She switched the answer machine on and turned off her mobile not wanting any calls tonight.

  Patricia stared at the telephone raging Lauren didn’t give her the chance to get the last word then she turned to the man sitting on her desk, ‘she has the information I know my daughter. She obviously copied them and deleted them from our server, it’s what she thinks will be her security.’

  Taking a deep pull from his cigarette he didn’t respond just simply turned and walked out of the office.

  Patricia stared at the closed door, wondering what he had in mind this time. She shivered remembering Peter and how that little problem was sorted, will this be the same? No he wouldn’t do that, not to the children he couldn’t leave them without both parents but then Patricia knew him as well as she knew Lauren. Expecting his visit, when he arrived he was silent, as per usual never utters a word. Patricia of course knew why he was calling to her office telephoning Lauren immediately, not wanting to waste any time and knowing how he hated delays or hesitations. Closing her mind to it, she sprayed her office to try to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke, ‘he knows I detest that habit,’ she annoyingly stated as she restarted the work she was doing before he called. Hitting a button on the computer it made a funny sound, ‘Oh Fuck! I’ve done it again,’ pressing a button on her intercom she called for her secretary to come and save her work, ‘I’ve done it again, be a dear and save me.’

  Chapter 37

  Once Lauren safely installed Emma and Keith into bed, her mind started racing. The telephone had four messages on it, she checked them. Two were blank someone hanging up, knowing it was Paul she decided he could wait until she was ready for him. The third was Veronique calling to see if Emma was okay after her nasty experience, Gabrielle had told her the story. Lauren smiled - the Corvasieur grapevine at work again.

  The fourth was David, Lauren frowned but she soon lost her annoyance at him when she listened to him. His message was about ten minutes long, apologizing for not being in touch and why. He needed to get into character he explained and was thinking about her too much. ‘Playing the bad guy, a lonely heart was not a good basis to work from,’ being used to playing the hero he admitted it was more difficult than other actors would admit. And then there was the problem of being stuck in the hotel residence, ‘it’s like a prison,’ he said. With armed security guards everywhere; there was no privacy, ‘We can’t even walk to the local shop to buy anything, it’s all delivered!’ Lauren felt he sounded frustrated and trapped. Asking her forgiveness he said he’d try to phone her again later or tomorrow, ‘The producers are trying to cheer everybody up by throwing a party tonight,’ he laughed adding, ‘I don’t know if I’ll be in any condition to dial all these numbers later. Je t’aime, Mon Amie,’ he hung up.

  ‘Just don’t drink too much that you’ll end up doing something you’ll regret,’ Lauren’s earlier doubts disappeared, her worst fears now over. She gave out to herself for thinking that maybe he and Jaqueline Orliac were having an affair again, how could she be so stupid! Did he not propose to her just before he left? No man in his right mind would do that then sleep with another woman, or would he? Her thoughts were battling again. But who could blame her for doubting, remembering how he excitedly described Jaqueline’s new image.

  ‘I didn’t recognise her Lauren, she actually looked normal even the muck as you so lovingly described her make-up is toned down to the bare minimum,’ he laughed. But Lauren was silent he didn’t notice and continued, ‘She looks beautiful, why she carries on the way she does I’ll never know!’

  She sighed
closing her eyes dreaming of the day he would come home then she remembered he didn’t mention about Pierre and his suspension, did he know? Did he telephone his parents yet? ‘Ah so what!’ she said aloud, the news would only depress him more. She knew not to phone him back it was 9pm here and 4pm in Colombia, he was probably in the middle of filming.

  Checking the children once more Lauren went down and made a cup of tea. She sat in front of her computer, ‘Right to business then,’ she stated as she delved back into the world of her parent’s shipping business. If she wasn’t handing over that file to Paul then she would try to help him another way. The direction she was taking was in IT, something Dec. Insp. O’Reilly would probably never dream of doing.

  It was 2.30am and Lauren was still downloading the files from her parent’s computer. She couldn’t believe her eyes, it was all here! Colombian and Irish names, contacts, how the operation was networked and organised, it was more detailed than anything she previously had from Peter’s laptop.

  Nobody knew of her backdoor access into the company’s main server. Using it often when she was working at home and with help from her IT friends it was simple to do. It was how she originally found out about the dirty dealings in the first place, by accident she opened the wrong file belonging to Peter and her discovery was made.

  ‘Jesus Christ!’ she exclaimed. No wonder Paul and the Government want this stopped, there’s millions involved and her mother was using the contract with the Irish Government as cover to transport the drugs to and from everywhere.

  ‘Mother’s a fool,’ Lauren delighted; surprised at the fact Patricia placed all this information on computer. All the computers in the company were networked, didn’t Patricia realise that, anything she inputted into her own could easily be accessed through the main server nothing was encrypted. At least Peter kept his on his laptop and was password protected. Lauren laughed at her mother’s foolishness and at O’Reilly. With a search warrant he could easily access this information, Patricia didn’t even have a password or make the files read only. After being so careful with everything else, did she not comprehend the easy accessibility of computer data? The computer finally finished downloading and Lauren started her research, copying the information she needed deleting the rest, by 5.30am she decided it was a waste of an hour if she departed for bed now.

  Chapter 38

  Feeling totally relaxed David showered washing away the grime and cosmetics of another successful days work. Finally he was getting this character inside him, could feel what the character felt, perceiving the anger and evil he so desperately struggled with in the beginning. Many times he sat down with the director, Steven Carly and his coach to work out exactly what was needed and more importantly what Steven wanted from David. Realisation dawned on him, his eyes widened and eyebrows raised in amazement, for practically the first time since David was a young rookie on a film set he actually accepted what the director wanted and not how he interpreted how the character should be.

  Of course with American money backing the film the lead character and hero was an American David smiled, ‘I’m going to die at the end of this one, that’ll be a first as well and the last.’

  Looking forward to tonight the whole crew sang all the way back to their ‘prison,’ which was what everybody now called the hotel. The only thing now standing in David’s way of having a good night was the vamp - one junior technician decided to call Jacqueline the name after surviving a night of passion with her and it stuck ever since. Now having gone through several inexperienced members of the crew she was turning her attention to David and he couldn’t help but play the game, it was in his nature. The sex scene today was sensational and David knew everybody on the closed set could see they were hot, he also knew Jacqueline and how to bring out the wildness in her confidently he admitted to himself, ‘it’s one scene that won’t end up on the editing floor, well maybe one or two bits of it will if they don’t want it X-rated.’

  But unknown to Jacqueline, David had no intention of spending even an hour alone with her knowing exactly how the gossip magazines worked, this time he wasn’t giving them anything to talk about. No more publicity like that he was determined nothing would come between Lauren and him, he stopped towelling down he asked himself aloud, ‘and where the hell is Lauren?’ Normally she would be getting Emma and Keith ready for bed when he telephoned at 3.30pm, knowing it was 8.30pm in France.

  Having skipped the opportunity to telephone Pierre and Chantal on his 15-minute break that afternoon he opted for Lauren expecting an ear bashing because it was so long since he was in touch with her, but he had good reason and he hoped she would understand. Now it was 9.30pm and too late to phone his children, not wanting to disappoint them he decided to call them before they left for school.

  As he dressed he thought about how right Lauren was when she described Colombia to him. From the little bit he got to see he had to agree, it was a mystical country. Okay so it rained, no, downpour was more the word and the nights were cold, but the view from the hotel in the front was a contradiction to the view from the back, both beautiful to the eye. The director occupied the penthouse and on several occasions David and the other main actors attended dinner there. The view over the city was magnificent and not far from the beaches everybody hungered for the golden sand and deep blue sea when they got a fleeting glance of them. Then at the back balcony of the penthouse was a view of the distant mountains and rainforest. David smiled as he got dressed, maybe Lauren and I could return on holiday one day and she could show me the sights.

  As everybody sat down for dinner, the band was softly playing in the background. David sat down at his name card quickly glancing at the name beside him, ‘Shit!’ its Jacqueline. Looking around he saw some of the ground crew involved in the closed set today laughing and holding up their wineglasses in salute. Bursting out laughing he knew when he’d been set up.

  When Jacqueline did finally make her late entrance, a familiar habit to ensure everyone noticed her, she looked exquisitely sexy in a black chic, elegant evening dress her now short and rustic hair carefully styled to fall in towards her face.

  ‘Ah, David, Mon Cherie,’ when she noticed where her name was placed, ‘it is fate that we should be placed together once more.’

  ‘Actually no, it was the crew who filmed us today,’ David decided that a blunt response was required but she either ignored or didn’t take up the remark as she sat down and immediately placed her hand on his thigh squeezing it.

  Throughout the evening everybody was in thunderous humour and David decided to take it easy on the wine, but the waiters kept topping up their glasses every time they noticed a glass was below its full level, he was finding it difficult to keep track.

  The crew were wild everybody forgetting the pressure of filming, of keeping to budgets and schedules. Jacqueline was all over David, fondling his inside leg, discreetly rubbing his penis, several times he removed her hand and she would stupidly laugh in his face. David felt extremely uncomfortable and woozy; taking another gulp of the wine everything became a blur.

  Waking up the next morning he felt sick, his head thumped but it wasn’t the usual hangover pounding, trying to get up but he couldn’t as a heavy load was lying sideways across his body. ‘Where the hell am I?’ It was too dark to tell with little light coming through from the door, feeling movement beside him he turned to find Jacqueline with her head lying on his arm, ‘Oh Christ, no!’ he moaned, ‘What the hell happened last night?’

  Jacqueline lifted her head attempting to sit up, ‘What’s going on?’

  David just lay there silent, ‘wake up David this is just a nightmare,’ he thought, ‘this has to be a fucking nightmare.’

  Jacqueline looked at him, ‘his body is a fit as I remember,’ she trailed her fingers up his chest. David suddenly pushed her aside and jumped out of the bed, ‘What did you do to me last night?’ he roared.

  ‘Darling, calm down, you were fabulous I didn’t need to do anything.’ />
  ‘You Bitch!’ David said the words with full vehemence.

  Jacqueline giggled in return, ‘what’s the problem? Are you now ashamed of our night of passion, it wasn’t what you said last night, it was as we were never apart.’

  David was gathering his clothes together, trying to get his trousers on. Glancing at his watch he knew the others would be beginning to rise for another day of filming. He was not due on set until late afternoon, gently opening the door he hoped no-one was around. The door number showed he was on the wrong floor and there was silence in the corridor. Sneaking out and quietly closing the door he decided he best option was to take the stairs rather than taking the risk of the elevator.

  Jacqueline watched David leave and smiled to herself. Okay so nothing happened, they were both too drunk and she didn’t realise how the tab she put in his wine would have such a depleting effect on him. But it served her purpose, she would get her agent to contact the magazine upon her return, butterflies began to rise in her stomach as she imagined the front-page headline – ‘How we celebrated David’s retirement.’

  David tried everything to scrub the previous night away, his shower lasted longer than any restriction on the water would allow. His skin was beginning to wilt but still he kept washing and scrubbing. Harshly he washed his hair, the hangover wasn’t receding and he didn’t want it to, he let out a roar not caring if anybody could hear him now. What did she want to achieve from this, what did Jacqueline want? Revenge? David had tried so hard to stay faithful to Lauren, this was the last week and with Jacqueline, that bitch! If any member of the crew found out about this they would see it as a quick way to make some money. They had their so-called journalistic contacts it would be something the French gossip columns would jump at.

  Finally stepping out of the shower and towelling down he still couldn’t feel clean. Staring into the bathroom mirror he felt nothing but disgust, it was something he never felt before. ‘Yes,’ he admitted, ‘I’ve had an affair and a few one night stands,’ but he never felt this guilty, this used before. ‘I’ll have to phone home, warn Papa and prepare Lauren I can’t hide this I know what Jacqueline will do now.’